That could have resulted in an interesting meeting between the Bavarian Minister of Economics Hubert Aiwanger (free voters) and the most well-known Bavarian chef Alfons Schuhbeck, who will soon be the main character in spectacular white-collar criminal proceedings. The association “Bier und Wir” was to be presented in the Munich Kindl-Stuben of the TV chef on the Platzl. And above all his large-scale campaign to make the beer region of Bavaria an intangible UNESCO World Heritage Site. And the patron of this campaign is Hubert Aiwanger. But he had to stay at home because of Corona.
Alfons Schuhbeck made his public appearance at a press conference for the first time since investigations into him into millions of dollars in tax evasion became known. Soon he is threatened with the opening of tax proceedings against him. The 73-year-old has lost a lot of weight and looks battered. He does not respond to questions as to whether the external circumstances allow him to be more involved in the club. He is a founding member and made the premises available for the evening ceremony. “Like neighborly help,” says the club’s chairman and Munich CSU city councilor, Armin Gastl, whose various companies are also based on the Platzl.
Schuhbeck himself is back to his old self when it comes to beer. “Actually, I’m more of an expert on ginger,” he begins his explanation, not without self-mockery, “but beer is of course a kind of staple food for us. I think there’s just one ingredient missing, then theoretically you could feed yourself completely with it .” He himself prefers a cut as an aperitif, which is good for the stomach, and also: “If you have a pint, then you have a completely different courage to face life and start chatting.”
Horst Wurm, a professor emeritus for communication sciences from Mainz, who is also “native to Munich, and in the third generation” will take on this role at the press conference. He is the initiator of the campaign and association and nothing less than its president. He explains why the “Bierland Bayern” has to be given the status of an intangible world cultural heritage by Unesco. According to Wurm, the past two years in particular have made it clear “the unifying role played by beer in Bavaria”.
The selection process at UNESCO often takes decades
It’s about the social context, about “the symbiosis of beer and the Bavarian cultural society, which combined have developed into a unique selling point”. Bavaria is unthinkable without beer, and that is why the application process should now be formally initiated with a ceremony this Wednesday evening. UNESCO only awards the title to cultural forms of expression “that are directly supported by human knowledge and ability, passed on from generation to generation and are constantly being created and changed”.
Fits, find Wurm and Gastl. However, submitting an application is far from enough. Unesco has set very high hurdles, for example an extensive selection process in the individual countries, which often takes decades. Gastl: “We know it will be a marathon.”
The association, which was founded in October 2021, now has 200 members, with 500 to come. In addition to Wurm, Gastl and Schuhbeck, a number of associations also belong to it, the former Wiesn boss Gabriele Weishäupl and Lothar Ebbertz, managing director of the Bavarian Brewers’ Association. The Brauerbund itself cannot become a member because its statute prohibits becoming a member of other associations.